Author: Shaun Williams

Electric mobility is not just for urban commuting anymore, as Volvo Trucks demonstrates with its new line of heavy-duty electric trucks designed for the construction industry. The FM Electric and FMX Electric models feature simple chassis and various superstructures, including tippers, mixers, and cranes, all powered by an electric drivetrain. Volvo Trucks offers its electric construction vehicles in a variety of cab and battery options, as well as a wide range of axle configurations. Customers can choose from six battery packages with capacities ranging from 180 to 540 kWh, which can be tailored to match the actual use and route…

VinFast, the Vietnamese automaker and subsidiary of Vingroup, is set to make its debut in the US market as it begins the delivery of its VF 8 City Edition electric vehicles (EVs) to US customers on March 1, 2023. The delivery event will be held at VinFast’s store in California, marking a new chapter in the company’s journey into the international market. The initial deliveries of the VF 8 City Edition will come from the first shipment of 999 units of the EVs that were sent to the US in December 2022. The VF 8 City Edition is available in…

Kia Charge, the exclusive service for Kia customers aimed at simplifying public EV charging, has expanded its reach to over 30,000 connectors in the UK, offering seamless access to a growing number of DC connectors. The service has experienced a 48% growth in the total number of connectors, with over 100kW chargers nearly tripling in number (189% growth) in the past 12 months. Kia Charge has more than doubled the number of connectors available in the UK since its launch in February 2021, which reflects the company’s successful efforts to add new operators to its solution, as well as the…

Lotus is gearing up for the launch of its highly-anticipated electric SUV, the Eletre, in Europe. The automaker has been spotted carrying out final test and tuning drives in Germany, shortly before the start of deliveries. Photos taken by electrive’s editors show a lightly camouflaged Eletre on the road in the greater Frankfurt area. While the production version of the Eletre was already unveiled in March 2022, Lotus has decided to keep the vehicle under wraps for its final tests in Germany. The electric SUV was seen with a licence plate from the district of Groß-Gerau, which is home to…

Germany-based Sono Motors has announced a shift in its business model from producing its own passenger car, the Sion, to retrofitting and integrating its solar technology onto third-party vehicles. The move is an attempt to focus on a capital-light business model amidst challenging capital market conditions. While the Sion program generated an estimated 90% of funding needs for 2023, it was also resource-intensive, requiring significant personnel and funding, leading to a redundancy of approximately 300 employees. Sono Motors plans to sell the Sion program and intends to focus solely on solar solutions. See also: Sono Motors Sion Prototype Passes First…

NIO has won a significant legal battle against German carmaker Audi in Europe. Last month, a Munich court ruled in favor of Audi in a lawsuit against NIO, stating that the latter’s ES6 and ES8 SUV models infringed on Audi’s S6 and S8 trademarks. However, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has now ruled that there is no likelihood of confusion between NIO’s ES8 and ES6 and Audi’s S8 and S6, and has rejected Audi’s request for trademark invalidation. The ruling means that NIO’s ES8 and ES6 trademarks will remain valid in the European Union, unless Audi successfully appeals…

Ford’s all-electric SuperVan 4 is set to make a stunning debut at the 101st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, with renowned driver Romain Dumas at the helm. This year’s event will be the latest chapter in Ford’s long-standing relationship with the hill climb, which dates back to its inception in 1916. The SuperVan 4 was unveiled in 2022 to mark the launch of the new e-Transit, and it caused a stir at the Goodwood Festival of Speed when Dumas took it for a spin. The electric powertrain of the SuperVan 4 will give it a significant advantage…

The electric vehicle (EV) market has seen significant growth in recent years, with consumers and automakers alike emphasizing the importance of charging speed. Faster charging times allow for less downtime during long road trips and enable more vehicles to be charged by a single charger throughout the day. In response to this need, Atlis Motor Vehicles, an electric truck startup, has unveiled one of the most rapid charging technologies on the market: a charging rate of just over 1 megawatt. The company recently posted a video online showcasing its new high-speed charger, which was plugged into a demonstration testbed that…

Cadillac is taking its electric vehicle (EV) game to the next level with a lineup of new all-electric models, including the Lyriq luxury crossover and the Celestiq ultra-premium luxury sedan. But it seems that the luxury marque is not done yet. According to GM Authority, General Motors is currently testing a new all-electric Cadillac crossover that will slot in above the Lyriq in the brand’s EV lineup. The new all-electric Cadillac crossover will share similarities with the current ICE-based Cadillac XT6 in terms of proportions. However, it will have a longer dash-to-axle ratio and a more traditional utility vehicle shape,…

Aurrigo International plc, a UK-based provider of transport technology solutions, has entered into a formal partnership agreement with Singapore’s Changi Airport Group (CAG) to develop and test its autonomous vehicles, Auto-Dolly and Auto-DollyTug, and its airport simulation software platform Auto-Sim. The partnership will last for several years and is partially funded by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) through its Aviation Development Fund (ADF). Changi Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, connecting Singapore to over 120 cities globally, with over 80 airlines operating more than 4,000 weekly flights. The partnership with CAG provides an opportunity…

Fastned has reached a significant milestone by surpassing 250 operational stations across Europe. The company’s recent additions of two new stations, one in France and one in the UK, further strengthen Fastned’s mission of accelerating the transition to electric mobility. Fastned was established more than a decade ago in the Netherlands and has expanded its network to Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France, and the UK. Fastned’s founders, Michiel Langezaal and Bart Lubbers, set a goal of building 1,000 fast charging stations by 2030 to aid in the transition to sustainable mobility. The company’s recent achievement of more than 250 stations underscores…

Volvo Trucks has achieved a significant milestone in its electric truck journey by making its first true commercial delivery of a medium-duty FE electric truck in Australia. The truck has been delivered to Geodis, one of Volvo’s logistics partners. This marks the first “purchased and delivered” truck for the company, following two electric trucks brought to Australia two years ago for a trial with Linfox. The 6×2 FE Electric truck will transport parts from Geodis’s Matraville headquarters to Volvo Group Australia’s Minto distribution center in southwest Australia. The FE Electric has a payload capacity of seven tonnes and is equipped…